The present invention relates to a brake lining for a vehicular brake device such as a disc brake and a drum brake.
Various brake linings performing various characteristics have been proposed and in practical use. One typical brake lining employs a fiction material, which performs a characteristic that a friction coefficient decreases as a sliding speed between the brake lining and a rotational member of a brake device increases. Another type brake lining employs a friction material, which performs a characteristic that a friction coefficient increases as the sliding speed increases within a low-speed range of the sliding speed and that the friction coefficient is almost constant in a high-speed range of the sliding speed.
However, the former brake lining has been yet required to suppress noise and vibration of a brake device just before vehicle stops, and the latter brake lining has been yet required to improve a feeling during the braking operation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved brake lining which is capable of realizing a suitable feeling in a braking operation and of avoiding the generation of vibrations and noises of a brake device during the braking operation.
An aspect of the present invention resides in a brake lining which is of a vehicular brake device for executing a braking operation by forcing the brake lining into friction contact with a rotational member and which comprises a friction material having a characteristic that a friction coefficient of the friction material decreases according to an increase of a sliding speed between the brake lining and the rotational member when the sliding speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed during the braking operation, and the friction coefficient is substantially constant when the sliding speed is smaller than the predetermined speed.
The other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.